Seconds count when someone sustains a major injury, and properly pre-treatment before they getting to the hospital can vastly improve recovery time. Kinoshita Kogyo has developed the Multiprotector inflatable cast and tourniquet that can be easily applied, even by someone lacking proper medical training.
The cast slips around the area of injury, like a sprain or a broken bone, and inflates in mere seconds by blowing into a long straw. A one-way valve ensures the cast stays inflated and rigid, stabilising an injury or stopping any bleeding before the injured person gets proper medical attention. And since it can be completely deflated, the cast is easy to store inside a first-aid kit. At $US47 for the the arm version and $US65 for the slightly larger leg model, it’s well worth it if you’re a stumble-prone mountaineer or an extreme athlete lacking extreme skills. [DigInfo TV]